Licensed by Dubai Development Authority 094 2022SEPTEMBER LEADERSHIP andMcGrailDeanWSP’s qualityforpassionhis WELLNESS atlooksAikenLaura realitiesharshthe INVESTMENT transitiononGaffarSameem projectsbig-ticketto MetaverseChampion Jamil Jadallah talks tech, communities and super-talls
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September 2022meconstructionnews.com Contents | 01
Cover Story
Krysta Fox, Founder and CEO of Changeosity, explains why a consultant working with a client on digital transformation must put people first
Connecting the Dots
AECOM’s vision of how we can enhance community wellness through city and urban planning
inTransformationDigitalAction
Jamil Jadallah Naji, CEO of the National Engineering Bureau (NEB), talks about a commitment to unique project design, building super-tall - and the impact of the Metaverse
In Practice
08 14 24 September 2022 Issue 094
Success Across Four Decades
In Practice
36
Dean McGrail, CEO for WSP in the Middle East, speaks to Paul Godfrey about his role, vision - and his mantra of ‘being prepared’
20 28 32 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K
Wellness
Wellness Resilient Teams: A Proactive Wellness Strategy for the Construction Industry
Wellness influencer Gloria Halim about the urgent need for organisations to put staff wellbeing front and centre of their corporate objectives
Leadership A forPassionQuality
CorporateMustWell-beingbea Norm
September 2022 meconstructionnews.com 02 | Contents In Practice
From Expo to Infrastructure Investment
Laura Aiken reviews the mental health issues that the construction sector can all too easily provoke - and for which there are often no obvious sources of help…
How can consultancies transition from the typically low-ticket, high volume business of Dubai Expo 2020 to significant client relationships? Sameem Gaffar, Director, National Transformation and Project Finance, Probity Management Consultancies, explains one organisation’s enlightening journey…
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04 | Welcome
CPI Trade Media. PO Box 13700, Dubai, UAE. +971 4 375 5470 ©cpitrademedia.comCopyright2022.All rights reserved.
What Wellness?Price
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ABDUL BAEIS UMAIR KHAN FOUNDER DOMINIC DE SOUSA (1959-2015)
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EDITOR PAUL +971paul.godfrey@cpitrademedia.comGODFREY43755470
Wellness matters - and that’s precisely why there’s something of a well-being theme to this issue of Middle East Consultant. It’s a truism that if organisations don’t monitor and aim to nurture the health (whether physical or mental) of their employees, the under-performance of staff in delivering the company’s commercial goals will be a relatively small price to pay. Significant personal harm can result - and this is particularly true in a tough, challenging sector like Construction. The articles in this issue of the magazine show that there is enormous scope for Consultants to improve the way that the vast majority of businesses conceive of Wellness (if they think about it at all); and that in the absence of Wellness monitoring, staff can take extreme measures.
Editor, Middle East Consultant
The publisher of this magazine has made every effort to ensure the content is accurate on the date of publication. The opinions and views expressed in the articles do not necessarily reflect the publisher and editor. The published material, adverts, editorials and all other content are published in good faith. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publisher in writing. Publication licensed by Dubai Development Authority to CPI Trade Publishing FZ LLC. Printed by Al Salam Printing Press LLC.
For example, as Laura Aiken’s article reveals, male construction workers take their lives more than in any other industry. A recent report by the Chartered Institute of Builders (CIOB) showed that 1 in 4 construction workers contemplate suicide. In the USA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that in 2018 the suicide rate was 5 times greater than all fatal work-related injuries in the construction industry - and yet we put a much greater focus on workplace safety than we do mental health.
September 2022 meconstructionnews.com
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These are all good reasons why here at CPI we decided to launch our first-ever Wellness event: the Wellness in Construction Summit, which takes place as a live, physical event on October 5th. I strongly advise everyone to go to the website and register now afterofoverlookedhttps://2022.wellnessinconstructionsummit.com-Note,though,thatwehavehaven’tthemoretraditionalaspectsworkplaceandon-siteHealth&Safety:all,Constructionremainsthesecondmostdangerousindustryintheworld,andit’sverymuchattheaxisofmanyoftheleadinginternationalreformsandBestPracticeinitiatives.Consultantswillbeabletohearaboutkeyinnovationsandsomeofthetechnologiesthatprotectthoseworkingatheights,orinotherrelativelydangeroussettings.Nottomentiongettingsnapshotsofthelatestregulatoryreforms.Onasomewhatlighternote,it’sworthbearinginmindthatWellnessprogrammesarenotnecessarilydemandingandcostlyentitiestoputinplace.So,bestofluckwithsettingupyourownprogramme,whichcanreallyaddtothebottomlineaswellastoawideraftofculturalissues.
PERGOLA SUNEAL THE LIVINGMULTI-SEASONSPACE
HYDRO BUILDING SYSTEMS M.E. - P. O. Box: 21848, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain - T: +973 1722 5777 - F: +973 1721 7799 - E: technal-hbsme@hydro.com - W: www.technal-me.com MORE WindowsINFO - Doors - Façades n Designed for private or professional use n Sleek concept with straight lines & elegant finishes, with all concealed fittings & screws n Elegant design ideal for contemporary & more traditional constructions n Fully motorized, allows to regulate sunshine & the thermal comfort to your desires n Robust, and tested to 100% water tightness & wind resistant Elevate and transform your outdoor spaces into living places.
Architects: -Giusti/Versini Photography: DesclouxLaurent
CONSTRUCTION
ANALYSIS: Where’s the magic in the Kingdom?
Emirates Steel Arkan plans to expand into new Asian and African markets
MACHINERY
Roha Realty to open sales and marketing offices in Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong Creating value through innovation
CONSTRUCTION
INTERVIEW:
GALLERY: The $175mn Oman Botanic Garden
Jan Gurander to step down as Volvo Group Deputy CEO
CONSULTANT
Emirates Stallion Group acquires shares in UAE indoor spaces design companies
September 2022 meconstructionnews.com 06 | On Topic LATEST NEWS FEATURES REGISTER NOW 14 Sept Dubai2022UAE
Digital construction tools to improve delivery and operations in the smart build environment
Saudi Arabia reportedly set to pay billions to settle dispute over Riyadh Metro
Arabia completes works on calcined petroleum coke plant in Oman
HillCONSULTANTInternational appointed to provide PMC services for Aldar Properties’ projects
The annual awards event will recognise the best companies, individuals and projects across 21 different categories development with new country head in KSA work on 950MW phase of MBR Solar Park now 90% complete Geosystems launches safety awareness solution for construction sites
JohnsonMACHINERY
MACHINERY Leica
Critical debates in the Diversity and Inclusion agendas: lobbying for real-time change
Hydro and Nuclear Power wins $2.2bn contract from Russia’s Rosatom to build nuclear plant in Egypt State-owned South Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power will build main and auxiliary buildings and structures
ME Awards to recognise excellence in construction on 15 December
Consultancy will support Phase One of The Grove Project and Phase Two of Al Reeman Residences and Reeman Living
SouthCONSTRUCTIONKorea
WorkCONSTRUCTIONonAjman’s Sheikh Ammar Street Development project more than 65% completed $18.7 million project will be completed by the beginning of 2023
PROPERTY Bloom Holding appoints Edrafor Emirates as enabling works contractor for Bloom Living
CONSULTANT Huspy acquires two mortgage brokerages CONSULTANT CBRE continues Middle East strategic
2022CONSTRUCTIONBigProject
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4th
Latest project follows company’s decision to open second branch in Oman last year
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meconstructionnews.comSeptember 2022 8 | In Practice SUCCESSSUCCESSACROSS
Jamil Jadallah Naji, CEO of the National Engineering Bureau (NEB), talks about a commitment to unique project design, building super-talland the impact of the Metaverse
FOURDECADES
September 2022meconstructionnews.com In Practice | 9
September 2022
NEB’s success with building skyscrapers is manifest in the ‘Tallest Tower in the World’ compendium, listing the world’s 100 highest super-talls. Avid fans of the genre will find that its pages show three projects created by NEB - and there are likely to be more to follow.
n the wall next to the main entrance of NEB’s Oud Metha offices, there is a simple poster with profiles of six buildings in Dubai Marina, each over 300m tall. Several of the six are household-name buildings like Marina 101 and Marina Torch - and the theme linking every one is that they were all designed by NEB. In fact, NEB - founded in 1984 - is one of a handful of businesses that have been involved front and centre in the development of Dubai; and the fact that the company has created several of the buildings in the heart of the Marina (which contains the tallest cluster of towers in the world) should be no surprise. Yet, at a time when everyone is talking Sustainability and community hubs, and the trend is to build outwards (as opposed to upwards), does the skyscraper still have a future?
10 | In Practice
A BESPOKE STYLE FOR EVERY STRUCTURE
Jamil Jadallah has built NEB over four highly successful decades, creating an iconic local business.
“While we may be connected with supertall structures and a number of other ‘landmark’ projects, I’ve always believed it’s important never to put the firm before the building. In other words, we don’t have an NEB ‘style’ which we then try to superimpose on the structure; for us, every project that we do has a unique concept. This is what makes us so different from the majority of the big design firms. Clients trust NEB to design their buildings - whether offices, commercial towers or even villas - to meet not just their own expectations but those of the end-user and the community as well. Our responsibility is always to those stakeholders first and foremost, and we don’t compromise the best bespoke solutions in order to ‘fit in’ an over-arching NEB style.”
“Undoubtedly, yes”, says Jamil Jadallah. “According to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat - of which NEB is a member - more than one million people are expected to move to urban areas every week for the next several decades. For me, tall buildings have played, and will continue to play, a very significant role in urban growth in the foreseeable future, especially in dense urban settings. There is no other way of achieving the immense land-efficiency that they can offer - and the technologies for building them are already incredibly mature and advanced.”
“Also”, continues Jamil, “I want to mention that Dubai has proven itself always to have a way of doing the things that the majority of people want, and which are in most people’s best interests: when the super-tall tower is the best solution, then that is precisely what we’ll see.”
FUTURE-FACING
“While the technology here is still in its inception, we at NEB are preparing for it. We already have an exploration team who are overseeing the development and potential adoption of this. We need to be future-proof, and if ever there was true ‘next chapter’, the Metaverse is it.
September 2022 In Practice | 11
Notwithstanding, there’s no doubt thatat least in the way it works - NEB can be characterised by certain themes; indeed, its longevity since 1984 has partly been made possible by the ability to stay ahead in an industry where changing technologies have altered the entire basis of design blueprinting, costing and management. Digitalisation is one example: and it’s no accident that Jamil is extremely interested in the opportunities now presented by the Metaverse.“Dubaihas already announced a new Metaverse strategy to be headed by Crown Prince HH Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum. I believe this is a powerful indication that the Metaverse will become the immersive internet for corporations, for education, for retail, and also as a more casual platform for socialising and networking. Everything we are doing in the real world could potentially be substituted or augmented and paralleled with interactions in the Metaverse.
Metaverse will become the immersive internet for corporations, for education, for retail, and also as a more casual platform for socialising and networking”
– the architects, technicians, risk managers, designers, and technologists – but also the disruptors: the people pushing the envelope when it comes to critical factors like sustainability, gender balance and iconic leadership.
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14 | In Practice
CONNECTING
meconstructionnews.comSeptember 2022
AECOM’s vision of how we can enhance community wellness through city and urban planning DOTS
In Practice | 15 THE
September 2022meconstructionnews.com
• Amer Mneimneh, Vice President, Urbanism & Planning, AECOM Middle East & Africa
Katy Adubi adds: “We have the advantage of drawing on a good level of resources to do the research. I generally work with a team of eight in gathering the data. As far as possible, we use primary research - phone calls, one-to-one interviews, observational field data, and so on - and combine this with research through government departments and offices and the published data they hold. This then gives us a robust starting point - and it might show us quite early on that our original ideas and perceptions won’t hold up in the light of the findings. Once you have the strength of the data, this is what will enable you - later on - to make recommendations to the many government and federal departments responsible for the issues concerned.”
“This is part of our normal methodology: we put the resources and our best time and effort into a plan that can potentially work best for Society, and then evaluate that on the basis of the data - rather than start with a specific aim in mind and then have it contradicted by the research. This is why a number of people have already described the idea of the City as a Gym as being quite ‘left-field’, for example.”
(Left to right)
• Katy Adubi, Associate, Urban Planner, AECOM Middle East
Amer Mneimneh, Vice President, Urbanism & Planning, AECOM Middle East & Africa; Katy Adubi, Associate, Urban Planner, AECOM Middle East; Zachary Jones, Director, Urbanism + Planning, AECOM Arabia.
Arguably the GCC’s leading cluster of urban thinkers, here is what they had to say about linking future city planning with a re-shaping of the critical issues around public
So, as part of this deeper dive, Middle East Consultant spoke to:
September 2022 meconstructionnews.com
“There’shealth…very much a theme”, says Amer Mneimneh, “around our reports of this kind, and how they begin: we look at important issues impacting Society and ask quite openly how they can be reworked. Sometimes, like this, we might reach surprising conclusions that wouldn’t necessarily have been our starting point.
• Zachary Jones, Director, Urbanism + Planning, AECOM Arabia
16 | In Practice
The ‘Dubai City as a Gym’ report sets out a number of recommendations whereby the actual structure and environment of the emirate will be re-oriented to make a proactive contribution to public heathmaking it easier to walk, cycle and run, for example. Yet isn’t all this quite long-term? Wouldn’t it be easier if people were simply incentivised to live differently - in a similar way, perhaps, as China, where people’s good habits and lifestyles can accrue them Social Welfare Points? Katy argues that: “I don’t really feel that people here are ready to be addressed in that kind of way, with a ‘one size fits all’ kind of messaging. I think that here in Dubai, people like to make up their own minds, and that’s why we make these recommendations about our urban future: the idea is, you can do all the things you were already doing, but you now have an option to make healthier choices. The City itself is the solution, rather than any centralised messaging.”
“So here, on the one hand, we were looking at aspects of urban planning and renewal, and on the other, asking big questions about public health and how it can be improved. Now, you might think there’s no clear link between those two, but once we had the statistics and data, we could be led by them, and we saw that the city itself had the answer.
IS CHANGING THE CITY THE EASIEST WAY TO WELLNESS?
irst things first. When Amer Mneimneh presented his paper - ‘Dubai City as a Gym’ - at the 2022 edition of the Future of Architecture Summit, it was immediately received as perhaps the most provocative and original discussion of the day. Yet it also raised intriguing issues about causality, research and the nature of urban life - in other words, it invited a more detailed discussion and a close-up look at how some of the report’s conclusions could best be put into practice.
THE QUEST FOR CONNECTIVITY
“At the simplest level, imagine what a difference a good system of underpasses would make. As things stand, crossing the major road interchanges is very daunting, and this difficulty really contributes to the sense of an East-West divide.
September 2022meconstructionnews.com In Practice | 17
“The City evolved in this way because, like all growing cities, it needed to get the maximum number of people to the commercial centres as fast as possible. But now that commercial life is more decentred and devolved, we need to create lifestyle clusters where every aspect of living is within easy reach - and we call this the ‘15-minute district’. These community hubs will place your home, the shopping centre, your workplace, the school your children go to - and even hospitals - within
“It’s not that there haven’t been any attempts at creating underpasses, rather that there aren’t enough of them. For example, most people won’t be aware that, adjacent to Sheikh Zayed Road and next to Crowne Plaza Hotel, there’s a very well-designed and stylishly decorated pedestrian underpass, which allows you
We need to create clusterslifestylewhere every aspect of living is within easy reachand we call this the ‘15-minute district’”
“The first thing we must do”, says Amer, “is look at the whole area of connectivity. At present, the city is very much bisected on a North-South axis, by highways like Sheikh Zayed Road, and then by Mohammed Bin Zayed and Emirates Road. We can even see this same concern with a NorthSouth axis when we look at older, local roads such as Jumeirah Beach Road and Al Wasl. Throughout, the concern is that they bisect the City and make East-West travel a challenge.
“Plus, we need to think more locally and in terms of access; this will mean, for example, extending public transport on this new East-West axis. Today, we have large communities such as Motor City,
easy reach of each other. They are the opposite to a bisected city.
Studio City, International City, Dubai Production Zone, and we’re building large residential communities far out beyond Meydan - all of these would benefit from enhanced connectivity, whether from extensions to the Metro lines or with connections to a tram system. Also, we have to remember that just as these are isolated, so too are the waterfront areas in the other direction - they’ve become equally inaccessible.
September 2022 meconstructionnews.com 18 | In Practice
“One of the reasons that cities like Vienna are so liveable is that they contain
• They are in prime locations
• They are safe: although surrounded by roads, their landscaping and access routes keep the traffic at bay
to walk or cycle across to the World Trade Centre. This is exactly kind of localised route that, if we were to create more, would give us access to our communities without needing to get in our cars.”
LOST IN PLAIN SIGHT
Zachary Jones adds: “Interestingly, here at AECOM we have been involved with a number of plans to pedestrianise key areas: DIFC is one example, where we blueprinted the idea of creating a pedestrian zone all the way across to Za’abeel Park. Part of the idea here is to invigorate footfall around DIFC, which - despite some remarkable features - lies dark and dormant after 7pm most days.”
“You see”, says Amer, “catchment is everything - and this is the true appeal of creating a highly accessible, ’15-minute district’ that becomes a true community hub. This is particularly the case when it comes to key elements like schools and hospitals. In other countries, where you go to school is dictated by the catchment area
CATCHMENT AND THE ‘15-MINUTE DISTRICT’
you live in - your children are then ‘called up’ to that school, because you’re in the catchment zone. But here, people select on the basis of curriculum, and a number of other factors; this means that the school is likely to be well away from the community, and it can be a long drive to get there. All of this because we haven’t been thinking in terms of community ‘hubs’.
many layers of lifestyles and amenities: they’ve grown up over centuries, catering to these different needs. Here; we haven’t had that luxury; things have had to be built incredibly quickly to accommodate rapid population growth. But now, we need to factor in that smaller scale and giving people options that are, quite literally, on theirZacharydoorstep.”Jones sums this up very well when he says: “Here in Dubai, we’re building out further and further at the moment, but we have to remember this: the more we go to the outside, the more we need connection to the inside!”
One of the key recommendations of the ‘Dubai City as a Gym’ report is that Interchanges around major road junctions - which are so often beautifully landscaped with trees, grass and shrubs - could be turned into havens for pedestrians; they could become recreational hubs with sports and leisure amenities. These Interchanges have a number of
•advantages:Theyarebuilt on publicly-owned land, so there are no complex issues with ownership
• They already have access points - these just need to be expanded
Of course, there will be ‘quick wins’ if development takes place on these readymade - but under-developed - public spaces. But won’t the creation of true inner-city clusters take time, considerable expense and the destruction of what is already there? Zachary comments that: ‘We have to classify different areas and plan accordingly, with a layered approach
TIMINGS?
DIFC’s innovative features potentially make an ideal background for a fully pedestrianised urban locale.
that delivers realistic results. For example, even existing, heavily built-up areas can often be re-purposed - we only have to look at what is happening now in some parts of Sharjah. Other areas can very much be part of ambitious national development plans, and supported in that way they will embody high levels of local infrastructure andAmerconnectivity.”believesthat: “The opportunity is there now to take a more planned approach - but it’s vital that this has factors like connectivity at its core, and we understand that the modern city is no longer built in the image of the motor car. It’s built around ease of access, prioritising life on a human scale, and putting lifestyles and wellness first.”
September 2022meconstructionnews.com In Practice | 19
In fact, according to Amer Mneimneh, these could quite straightforwardly be transformed to align with the UAE national strategy, advocating sports and an active lifestyle. “But at the moment”, he says, “they are lost in plain sight.”
Similarly, other areas where he believes change can be implemented swiftly and affordably are the areas immediately under bridges and overpasses. “We are starting to see these being used more and more as parking spaces, but they could be used for so much more. They provide nearideal areas for sports courts, where the public could have facilities for basketball, football, and so on. Plus, by definition, they are already well-shaded and protected from the traffic.”
meconstructionnews.comSeptember 2022 20 | In Practice
1. Close rapport with the client;
In the case of Zimbabwe, as an illustration, with which Probity was heavily involved at the Expo, there are critical elements that allowed Probity to continue its collaboration:
3. Encircling the assortment of needs of the client;
From Expo to InvestmentInfrastructure
September 2022meconstructionnews.com In Practice | 21
events? We can of course always keep in mind that such large events repeat themselves, and as we gear ourselves up for the next Expo in Osaka, Japan, in four years, it’s a good time to reflect on Post-Expo strategy for businesses.
How can consultancies transition from the typically low-ticket, high volume business of Dubai Expo 2020 to significant, ongoing client relationships? Sameem Gaffar, Director, National Transformation and Project Finance, Probity Management Consultancies, explains one organisation’s enlightening journey…
5. Tailoring a long-term thinking with
AE-based companies that had centred their services and offerings around Dubai Expo 2020 faced a good deal of uncertainty when the event came to a close. We can refer to this as sort of an ‘existential crisis’, as the Expo with all this grandeur captivated the attention and focus of companies, consultants, service providers and other related agencies but left no clear pathway for a Post Expo phase. How do these companies transition after large
As a matter of fact, the rush and excitement of the Expo can be so draining on the resources of any organisation that the risk of failing to plan for the aftermath is real andLotspresent.ofcompanies have faced this cliff without any parachute. In the case of Probity, the answer lay in its core values and model, and the inherent flexibility embedded in the company. What it means is that Probity saw itself as an agent of change in certain countries, having been closely involved and exposed to the process of National Transformation, particularly in Saudi Arabia over the past few years, and as a vehicle to support and effect positive socio-economic transformation in line with the desires of the leadership and the people of respective countries. Hence, during its journey at the Expo where Probity was collaborating with different governments, the obvious assignment was essentially to continue supporting these clients to achieve their national economic strategic agendas. Thus, the idea of National Transformation inside Probity became more mature. Under this umbrella there is a suite of solutions from traditional strategic consulting, advisory and execution, to businessto business matchmaking services, and investment advisory services. Building on that foundational block, Probity kept itself lean and nimble enough to adapt to the needs of its clients, mindful of the fact that each country faces a unique raft of challenges that need to be looked at through different lenses.
4. Ascertaining the value proposition of the country and what it had to offer;
Here, we will take a look at how Probity has been able to leverage certain key factors to transition from its low-value high-volume Expo business strategy to post-Expo highvalue high volume delivery mode. And how it has been able to build on certain foundational elements at the Expo to sustain, grow and expand its business model.
THE CLIFF
Probity has been in the midst of the action at the Expo, providing different levels of support to its clients, namely in the form of end-to-end Pavilion operations, B2B matchmaking services and investment advisory. And like others, it was also faced with a significant amount of unanswered questions as the end of the Expo grew closer.
2. Understanding of the deeper needs of the clients;
September 2022 meconstructionnews.com
• Lack of access to finance
22 | In Practice
This is how the Infrastructure Project Finance division of Probity came to light, and thus far, it has been able to maintain
interim solutions, as opposed to ad hoc Extrapolatingsolutions; on this experience, Probity designed and formulated a thinking based on key assumptions that took into consideration various analyses and research that it had conducted, and came up with the following conclusions:
• Support in key sectors: Power, renewable energy, water, road infrastructure, logistics, affordable housing, healthcare, tourism and so forth
and develop further its relationships with previous clients at the Expo.
• Reinforcing the manufacturing base
In view of all of this, the primary directive of Probity’s national transformation division is to support countries to further assimilate their immediate concerns with their longer-term goals. The way to produce the desired results go through, invariably through access to capital. Hence the creation of the Project Finance division in Probity under the National Transformation umbrella. This is a direct outcome of its involvement with clients at Dubai Expo 2020.To be able to effect this change, Probity had reflected on the various announcements from the political leadership in various countries, and from the private sector, individuals and NGOs, who echoed similar concerns, namely:
• Certain targeted countries are in urgent need of re-capitalisation;
For instance, food security and healthcare have emerged in Africa, primarily, but not exclusively, as the key concerns of governments, as the world contemplates the ravages of the pandemic and the disrupting effects of the Russian-Ukraine conflict. Many governments saw the opportunities that were spawned by the situation, in terms of the desire to re-focus on the well-being of the population as a social, but also an economic imperative. Going back to basics, reinforcing capabilities and necessary infrastructure in healthcare became an immediate priority, so that future pandemic can be better addressed and have a less damaging impact on the economy. Governments are also keen to adopt of innovative technology and solutions in the health industry at a more rapid rate. The Russian-Ukrainian conflict has disrupted the global food supply chain and exacerbated the already concerning food insecurity. To make it worse, inflationary tendencies across the globe caused by the fuel hike are largely hampering Government budgets and the provision of basic necessities, thereby spurring, in many instances, stimulus packages and subsidies that further deplete the national balance sheets.
SEEING THROUGH THE CLOUDS
We leveraged our network in order to keep these relationships evolving beyond the Expo, establishing a pipeline of projects which at the latest count has reached USD 15+ billion. This certainly demonstrates the intense need in Africa and Asia to very rapidly escalate the foundational pillars of the economies through infrastructure.
• Lack of supply capacity and supply chain gaps
Since we adopted the above strategic orientation in project finance and supporting investment, we have been called upon to support several governments on different infrastructure projects, from Mauritania to the Philippines. Renewable energy and power generation constitute around 50 percent of current demands, the rest being distributed in oil and gas, mining, road infrastructure, desalination, Telecoms and social infrastructure (affordable housing, healthcare).
PROJECT FINANCE
• The current post-pandemic recovery scenario coupled with the RussianUkraine conflict unreservedly left a lot of economies lagging behind in their national aspirations and targets. Implementing a vision became a laggard exercise as the immediate needs trumped the longer-term goals, which was to establish a broader vision.
Four months after the Expo, we are partnering with the private sector in Ghana on a major project in the oil and gas sector, which will serve the sub-region and beyond in its fuel requirements. Despite being oilrich, the continent lags far behind in refining capacity and the overall effectiveness of the industry. Ghana’s government is putting very significant efforts behind an ambitious but realistic vision to bridge this gap on the continent and become an oil hub in SubSaharanZimbabwe’sAfrica. future development is backed by a strong political desire to see change and the nation reaffirmed its presence assertively at the Expo. The country is part of the SADC region (Southern African Development Community) which is facing an unprecedented power crisis. In this context, Zimbabwe’s national electric utility company ZESA is leading initiatives withing the Southern Africa Power Pool (SAPP), an integrated regional power grid which is the result of a regional multilateral diplomatic alliance between SADC governments. Probity is partnering with Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and project promoters in the region to support the financing of power generation projects,
The ability of businesses to rebound from a perceived adverse situation, to think on their feet, to predict the next
September 2022meconstructionnews.com In Practice | 23
particularly renewable and photovoltaic assets.The fastest growing sectors in the region are intensive energy users like mining, manufacturing, refining and agriculture. By enabling access to finance towards power projects and renewable energy, we can make a significant impact on the economic landscape and support the countless livelihoods that depend on these keyThesectors.Expo met its objective of providing a mega-networking platform for business to explore opportunities and partnerships. Probity entered into several partnerships at the event, especially with experts having deep knowledge of the targeted markets.
it is applicable, provide a suite of solutions which includes an insurance-wrapping programme to enhance the project’s credit rating, especially where sovereign and national guarantees may not be accessible.
Through this nexus of partnerships and Memorandum of Understandings, we have seen a parallel growth in our investor base and global experts which can contribute the core objective, which is national transformation. We have reinforced our ties with like-minded organisations and entities in China, India, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. We intensified our circle of financiers and we can, in instances where
MANIFESTING BUSINESS AGILITY
business opportunity with significant accuracy and to have a quick realisation of value, sustainability, predictability and high quality is key to success in modern organisations.Thesumtotal of the company’s vision should be to build valuable and trusted relationships with its clients and partners, both potential and existing, based on human considerations, so as to maintain a value-based work culture embedded in systems-thinking and openness to evolve.
the business in the direction of change was integral to Probity’s recent success in riding the challenges associated with the end of the Expo. While applying simple iterations we continue to develop tailored solutions that mirror the demands of markets, while retaining our fundamental identity as a strategy consultancy company.
Our brand establishment at the Expo in terms of successful delivery of key B2B assignments also paid dividends. The postExpo phase saw the emergence of a new set of clients, including the UK, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and is a segment that is seeing rapid growth.
It may well serve the strategy of businesses at future events to observe the trends during the event and not delay the next stage or post-event planning process to until it is too late or when the relationships go Shiftingcold.
Sameem Gaffar, Director, National Transformation and Project Finance, Probity Management Consultancies.
Photovoltaic panelling is a classic investment conduit for developing nations.
hile there is truth in the view that the single biggest opportunity to improve company performance is through digitisation, ROI in technology-based initiatives will have a limited impact unless it’s part of a strategic business model and a wider transformation mindset.
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FOUR CORE BEHAVIOURS AND THE TRANSFORMATION FRAMEWORK Regardless of the sector or scale in which the consulting work is conducted, the Extending Richard Branson’s sentiment (left), when approaching digital transformation, technology by itself can’t be the driver. Leaders must start with examining their organisational culture, addressing factors like alignment of vision, stakeholders, and processes within the drive to digital.
RICHARD BRANSON
In short, effective digital transformation is inseparable from people.
experience is commonly framed as the goal of digital transformation. This is a deficit
Havingview.a client who is caught up in the excitement of new, in-vogue tech is a trap for a less experienced or ineffective consultant. Promising flashy quick fixes and taking an approach which is focussed solely on the technology will only contribute to the numerous examples of amplified organisational flaws, wasted expenditure and ultimate failures of technology driven ‘innovations’. A 70% digital transformation failure rate is commonly cited. Experience tells us those failures are avoidable.
You’ve no doubt heard that an imperative to engage customers and enhance their
Regardless of sector or scale, the methodology outlined here approaches transformation holistically. It is demonstrably successful in leading to sustainable transformative change in the client’s organisation.
Krysta Fox, Founder and CEO of Changeosity, explains why a consultant working with a client on digital transformation must do so within a wider transformation mindset, putting people first inTransformationDigitalAction
24 | In Practice
So, a significant part of an effective consultant’s role is to help their clients see that putting their employees ‘more’ first will benefit their customers.
While including customers in the scope of stakeholder discussion is important, embedding processes to capture and address the ideas and feelings of internal stakeholders is key. Effective transformation of any kind involves recognising and drawing on in-house knowledge to identify issues and potential solutions.Authentic change management recognises reservations and even fears that digitisation may provoke in employees, such as, for example, redundancy. A highly effective consultant uses best practice tools to engage with people’s feelings, moving beyond ‘buy-in’ to a shared vision of benefit to both organisation and individual in the workplaces of the future.
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Only with project management discipline and commitment to change management as part of an ‘always-on’ transformation mindset, will the true potential for operational efficiency and better customer experiences (arising from digital maturity) be realised.
“Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.”
The Core Behaviours are crucially important to the project’s success:
• Dream – clarify the organisation’s vision for change
• Foster Collaboration – form one collaborative, merged team of clients and consultants, with no ‘us’ and ‘them’ to reach for significant internal knowledge building
• Encourage Caring – emphasise emotional intelligence, and adopt a psychologically safe project team culture to maximise performance
• Devise – build an initial project plan with comprehensive terms of reference and an agile methodology
September 2022meconstructionnews.com In Practice | 25
• Spark Curiosity – support the client’s teams in adopting a curious mindset, to explore and share ideas
• Discuss – facilitate processes to uncover gaps and consolidate engagement, including as many voices as possible
placing high priority on knowledge already ‘in the room’
Fun is effective for overcoming early hesitation and resistance. Activities like creating a team ‘poster’ with values, avatars, and a project mascot build team
When clarifying the vision and purpose, establish the rules of engagement with the project team. Include principles to contribute to an organisational culture of psychological safety, such as ‘no blame culture’ and ‘failure is not an option’.
Time and discipline invested in the first five phases lay methodical foundations to succeed sustainably rather than fail, fast.
• Decide – present decision makers with options and recommendations, establish shared understanding of deliverables and get sign-off
leadership and organisational consultants at Changeosity apply what we call The Transformation Framework. As a frame of reference, this involves nine stages underpinned by four Core Behaviours.
• Be Courageous – invite people to move out of their comfort zones in an authentic way, to generate new thinking and build capabilities
With a values-based approach to how the project team will work together, Changeosity focuses on The Transformation Framework project management phases.
• Discover – establish a deep understanding of the current situation,
He was not a technology expert. He was not based in the region.
establishing a steering committee can add significant value. Consultants, however, must be alert to the importance of facilitating a supportive committee with a mindset of behaving as both stewards and servant leaders. For this reason, take time to build rapport with the steering committee members through team building approaches.
Krysta Fox, Founder and CEO of Changeosity.
In the Discovery and Discussion phases, bring contributors together in an interactive and fun way to complete the gap analysis, ensuring that psychological safety is established. Again, including games, online quizzes, speed ‘storming’ and competitions can also work to find out who has a process in the greatest need of intensive care. In discussions, build in
• Design – go beyond a perfect scenario, incorporate potential fail points and mitigation steps in To-Be requirement documents
During Design it can be a game changer to bring in an independent mentor, a wise cheerleader, to support the project leadership team and to build ‘grit’. Selecting the right mentor, and reviewing an obvious choice, can help immeasurably. During the recent implementation of a CRM digital transformation, Changeosity engaged an unexpected individual as mentor.
spirit. Use of familiar and simple digital tools at this stage can be a powerful mechanism to ease into addressing any technophobia in the room along with assessing the level of upskilling which may be Helprequired.the client feel included and empowered rather than overwhelmed by displays of expert knowledge. When devising the initial project plan, the use of simple and accessible project management software enables easy collaboration. Client-accessible simple Dashboards help them stay connected with the project’s progress while also experiencing working effectively with new tools such as project plans and GANTT charts.
COLLABORATIONCURIOSITYCARING COURAGE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 DREAM DEVISE DISCOVER DISCUSS DECIDE DESIGN DEVELOP DELIVER DEBRIEF
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DESIGN THE PROJECT ON STRONG FOUNDATIONS
recognition and celebration of success. Decision making can be improved through the use of digital tools and gamification. Accessible software tools like Kahoot and PollEverywhere are powerful for democratising decision making and keeping projects moving. In this phase, the consultant must always take care to verify the veracity of the decisions.
• Deliver – prioritise training users well, communicate the go-live program clearly and be alert to potential date clashes
In this phase of The Framework,
• Debrief – lean-in and take an honest look at the lessons to be learnt, finalise the next-phase improvements lists from the original project pack during the post-project audit
• Develop – underpin solutionbuilding with regular, well-structured project team meetings and time for troubleshooting and test scenarios
With a robust process leading to clearly articulated vision and decisions regarding digital transformation in a wider transformation process, consultants can move to the Design phase of The Transformation Framework.
In Practice | 27
As an industry professional with a passion for mentorship, an abundance mindset, and experienced in deploying ‘DIY’ technology solutions in his own firm, his input was invaluable. That outside-thebox choice saw problems and emotional blockers that had the potential to thwart the delivery of a complex project sidestepped.During the Develop phase, it is crucial the consultant recognises that there will be human error and reminds the group of the rules of Additionally,engagement.although celebrating milestones and successes is important, it can be wise to delay the go-live celebration until after the solution has stablised. If go-live is rocky, bring in the mentor for a pep talk. Choosing the moment to inject wisdom and a voice of experience, reassuring clients that the bumpy road will be forgotten once the system is working as intended, is part of the suite of skills leading consultants and their teams bring to the process.
One of the clearest distinctions between an average and a master consultant is that they have added ‘leadership facilitator’ to their role of ‘expert digital advisor’.
Whatever the client’s initial impetus, an industry-leading consultant tasked with a digital transformation project is not focussed only on technical aspects and the choice of an IT solution. At the core of all the processes is the consultants essential work with leadership and the organisation’sContinuouspeople.effort creating discipline around project and change management will reap rewards.
Several employees shared with the Changeosity team that the significant
FINAL THOUGHTS
Particularly in guiding digital transformation, an excellent consultant recognises when a client already has existing, underutilised or poorly
Nonetheless, during the debrief phase make sure there is time for rest and recuperation. Before embarking on the next phase of improvement, return to fun and team consolidation through a collaboration session. Activities such as the spaghetti and marshmallow exercise are powerful mechanisms for emphasising the value of prototyping and experimentation in this phase of The Transformation Framework.
Therefore, the consultant must address stakeholder management, change management, and approach digital transformation as part of a wider, ongoing transformation.AsConsultants, we care about delivering sustainable solutions for our clients. Building trust and playing a critical, leading role in weaving a people-oriented approach into every aspect of the transformative project will enable teams to succeed. Article co-written by Krysta Fox and Sally Wolf.
In the most successful organisations, transformation is ‘always-on’.
Pay attention to putting mechanisms in place to respond to the needs of individuals and the organisation. Implement these mechanisms as people’s levels of understanding, buy-in and actionorientation cycle through the normal spheres of human capacity, capability and commitment.Thereistrue wisdom in the saying that it is often better to go by a circuitous path than a direct one. Time and energy invested in cultivating the right mindset from the beginning will significantly support identifying and overcoming common blockers and pay dividends.
September 2022meconstructionnews.com
deployed IT which can be part of the solution. Rushed or less agile processes risk unnecessary expenditure and lower success by overlooking opportunities to optimise digital tools already familiar to those who will be using them. Always aim for scalable Knowledgesimplicity.‘inthe room’ can be leveraged, powerfully and in multiple ways. However, identifying blockers such as legacy systems and processes, and working to address those is crucial.
To publicly announce planned deliverables early in the project, plus continuing to communicate progress toward the outcomes is an immensely powerful way of holding the project team accountable for resolving obstacles that may appear. This is especially important when working with organisations that have a history of aborted and failed change projects.Inarecent digital transformation for an international law firm, two critical technology problems were encountered late in the development phase. The company had, some years previously, tried and failed to deliver the solution.
emphasis placed on continuous team building, collaboration, and psychological safety made the big difference this time. Using their mascot ‘Alan the dog’ the team rallied, reminded themselves of how they wanted to behave, and found a solution. The project went live and was a global first for the firm.
The 13 months since Dean’s appointment to CEO have certainly not been quiet. So, how has the business performed and what were some of the highlights?
28 | Leadership
So, in a company where the bar is set very high, what is Dean’s experience of being its CEO? “Since being appointed CEO of WSP Middle East, the transition from my previous role as Managing Director of the firm’s Property & Buildings business has been very smooth. That’s not down to me; it’s down to the way that the team have embraced my collaborative leadership ethos as well as the way that our clients have welcomed me into the role. Of course, to say the first four months following the transition were hectic would be an understatement! However, on reflection, my appointment happened at exactly the right time as our 2019-2022 strategic cycle was drawing to a close & we were embarking on the development of our 2022-2024 Strategic Action Plan. This meant I could put our regional Executive Committee in place and begin to drive the future outlook on the business, which, for me, simplistically hinges on two key fundamentals. Firstly, to understand the market dynamics and the key challenges and opportunities which we will need to respond to; then, secondly, to ensure that all of our teams are as fully equipped as possible to enable us to exploit these challenges and opportunities to take market share .”
hen Larry Ellison was speaking recently about the factors that he believed to be so crucial in building Oracle, he remarked that there is ‘no substitute for quality’and he wanted quality to be paramount in everything from the office environment to the customer experiences that the company gives.
Dean McGrail, CEO for WSP Middle East, speaks to Paul Godfrey about his role, vision - and his mantra of ‘being prepared’ apart’setsCultureand‘Qualityus
meconstructionnews.comSeptember 2022
“At the time I took up the role in 2021, the world was really emerging from the wake of the pandemic. How our people responded to this unprecedented time and the way everyone in the business pulled together can only be described as remarkable: we had very challenging targets for the year, but in 2021, we not only exceeded them, but exceeded our revenues for any year previously. In other words, at the time when the going was toughest, our Middle East business outperformed every previous year in our history! That was something that we were tremendously proud of, and now in 2022, we’re building on that success.
“For example, in H1 of 2022, the business grew organically 15%, our DSO was less than 80 days and the future is underpinned by our secured fees now sitting at >24 months - which is obviously a very good place to be. But as a CEO, I also suffer from what you might call ‘chronic unease’, and this tells me that it’s when everything is going well that you have to be prepared for the unexpected coming at you down the back straight! The only way to be ready for the unexpected is to look at different scenarios and to ‘be prepared’ to respond to them as quickly as possible – every challenge represents an opportunity if you’re agile enough to respond. I’ve been in this region for over 18 years, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that there will always be challenges. This region is very dynamic and you have to anticipate future shocks in advance. For example, by always ensuring that you have a strong balance sheet to protect your top line and maintaining an unrelenting focus on turning revenue into cash, only then
Similarly, a commitment to quality is one of the ‘touchstones’ that distinguishes WSP from its market competitors, and has led - clearly - to its avid engagement in many of the GCC’s signature giga-projects. Dean McGrail, CEO, WSP Middle East, explains that this pursuit of excellence is no mere accident: “We’re absolutely driven by quality – it’s sewn into the very fabric of our business, our people, our working environments, and, to a major extent, the numerous projects we’re engaged on throughout the Middle East region. We believe this unrelenting focus on quality is what enables us to attract the very best people and to work with the very best clients on the region’s most complex & impressive projects. I mean, how can any progressive 21st century organisation prosper unless quality is paramount at each and every touchpoint?”
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THE NEW ADVISORY AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT ARMS
have these business units been incorporated within the new Strategic Action Plan?
me when I took on this role was to really gel the key business units together. I had already had good experience of this in my previous role as Managing Director - Property & Buildings. My goal then was that when I walked into a meeting, the different people from each discipline shouldn’t talk about their own units as if they were unrelated –instead they all worked together on behalf of Property & Buildings and had to embody that mission for unity. Now as CEO, I want the four business units of WSP Middle East to gel together in the same manner, because I’m confident that this will be a very powerful differentiator in the market and underpin our long-term goal.”
“These divisions”, says Dean, “didn’t actually exist in 2019, so adding these alongside our pre-established Property & Buildings and Transport & Infrastructure business units was a significant transformation. The Advisory Services team is led by Kathleen McGrail, and it has grown exponentially, with now close to 100 people. Advisory Services is also something of an incubator for the more innovative services we would like to provide and serves as a front-end strategic catalyst which will eventually provide downstream opportunities for our other business units. Then, the Project Management Services business, led by Ian McGauley, and this has won some very significant projects in KSA in particular. These wins have been very instrumental in that 15% growth I mentioned earlier, and the business unit will continue to help us grow as it takes further market share. So, all in all, we’ve got Advisory opening
THE STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN
30 | Leadership
“This is a very unique Strategic Action Plan, because in the last several plans we focused purely on a three-year cycle: but this year, we incorporated a long-term goal - and that goal is to be the undisputed leader in our industry. To achieve that goal, there are three key pillars in the Plan. Firstly, we believe in embedding what we call the ‘future-ready’ mindset in our people. That means we’re not only designing for today, but designing for tomorrow, and making everyone aware of what that future focussed commitment requires. Then there is the second pillar: the goal to be the best when it comes to innovation and technology, because these are the factors that determine so much of the company’s competitive edge. The third pillar is a focus on our people strategy, working with our teams so that they can fully deliver the very best of their potential. Make no mistake: highlighting their skills is a critical factor in our success as an organisation. It’s what enables growth in the top line of our business.
“I also had no illusions that my appointment as CEO was very much connected to the push for the Strategic Action Plan. For example, one of the imperatives for
September 2022 meconstructionnews.com
WSP Middle East took the opportunity to diversify its value proposition in 2021 with the launch of dedicated Advisory Services and Project Management Services arms. How
The most important features of the current WSP business model are driven by the 2022-2024 Strategic Action Plan. As CEO, Dean is intrinsically part of the creation and delivery of the plan - so what are some of the main highlights to be aware of, and where will the key focus areas be during the next three years?
“I would also add that we don’t just believe in growth for growth’s sake; we believe in growth because it empowers us to work with the best clients, and it gives our people the opportunity to work on the very best projects.”
can you ensure that you maintain your performance and competitiveness when times are challenging. When challenges do arrive, which they inevitability they will, we are very proactive in communicating to all of our stakeholders, really preparing the ground and ensuring that we take the right steps.
“For example, I see real in-depth progress in KSA; we’ve had a lot of big wins in Saudi, working intensively with the Public Investment Fund (PIF) where we are engaged on every one of the ‘giga project’, a number of which have all of our business units involved in some capacity or another. We’re also seeing a big uptick in the UAE - which we’re extremely pleased about - with large projects in liaison with Majid Al Futtaim, for example. I’m also delighted to see that our work in Qatar is progressing very well, with many initiatives for Ashghal, Lusail, and the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy pushing the various stadiums towards their final completion in time for Qatar to play host to the upcoming pinnacle event of the 2022 sporting calendar.”
In the last decade, there’s been considerable pressure to ingrain gender, inclusion, diversity and wellness agendas into workplace culture and behaviours. This is particularly the case for any business embracing Best Practice credentials. So, how is WSP Middle East empowering its people?
“We annually distribute a comprehensive survey asking for as much feedback as possible. I’m happy to say that in the latest survey, WSP came in well above the accepted benchmark for professional services, but I feel there’s always a great deal more to do. Currently, there is a major focus on training, and making sure that everyone here - at every level of seniority - is well-equipped to come with us on the journey.
With the growth of these divisions being a hallmark of Dean’s watch, does he also believe in breaking new markets in 2022-2024?
“I believe this is about creating dialogue with your people and a culture of mutual trust. We’re continually asking our staff how they feel about the work they’re engaged on, and what are the key factors that they’re looking for from WSP as an employer.
“When it comes to diversity, there are more than 70 nationalities working for us, so we have a big push on encouraging people to talk about their cultures as well as embrace each other’s perspectives; it’s a truism that as an organisation, we can learn from the very different approaches to problem-solving that diverse cultures can bring. We incorporate
these views not only in terms of open days, but as part of the DNA that defines the way we function as a business and the style of teams we can put in front of a client.
“In terms of Wellness, myself and the leadership team are rolling out a five-pronged approach, which together covers the key aspects of wellbeing, namely Financial, Career, Social, Community, and Physical. It’s only by listing these very different aspects that we can be sure to properly address the key issues that our people might be impacted by. We have also created a ‘Wellness Day’, when staff can choose to take an extra day off, in addition to any paid leave, which gives everyone a chance to deal with any issues they might have to face, or if they’d simply rather be in their own space that day. This is in addition to a culture of ‘flexible working’ that we’ve already had in place for some time.
“Something very important that I should mention is that we’ve also implemented a comprehensive Wellness check, which reviews an individual’s current health across a wide range of metrics. There have been a number of people who’ve had underlying conditions detected because of this - it’s a great example of taking a proactive approach to wellbeing. Taking this check is also linked to everyone’s visa renewal; I don’t mean this in a draconian way, but we’ve taken the initiative to put it in place, and I really want everyone to take the opportunity and make the most of a thorough, professional checkup. Note that the results are always kept fully confidential, but our hope is that by being proactive, we give everyone the chance to make preventative health a key priority.
“I mention that ‘Financial’ is part of the five-pronged approach. So we try to help our people financially by allowing an early Gratuity release, where you can draw down on your gratuity up to a certain percentage threshold. Needless to say, this can be extremely helpful if you’re facing an unexpected financial challenge. As you’ll have gathered, my mantra is ‘being prepared’ and I want as many people as possible to be reap the rewards of being with a business that takes a practical, holistic view of their health and wellbeing.”
doors that we probably didn’t realise could be opened before, and then we have Project Management really driving things forward and delivering exceptional project results to our core clients. The key driver for gelling together & unifying our business units is to provide our clients with strategic guidance and project management services backed by world-class technical expertise.”
GENDER AND DIVERSITY IMPERATIVES
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“Jordan, Kuwait, KSA, Oman, Qatar & the UAE - we will continue to focus primarily on the markets we are already in, really building on our existing strength. I believe it’s more important to fully develop this existing market presence and ensure that we’re properly diversified in these markets, than it is to go out and try to build a presence in completely new markets. That’s not to say that we won’t work in other regions at all, but they’re not a focus.
IndustrytheStrategyWellnessProactiveforConstruction
32 | Wellness
Traditional wellness programmes that may include health screenings, software tools for mental, physical, emotional and financial health, fitness incentives, and employee assistance programmes, are usually targeted at individuals and personal actions.
ental health issues are on the rise for the people of construction - which can have a devastating impact on the sector.
While this is important and these programmes have a place in a wellness strategy, it misses a huge component of wellness - our working environment and connectedness to others.
Male construction workers take their lives more than in any other industry. A recent report by the Chartered Institute of Builders (CIOB) showed that 1 in 4 construction workers contemplate suicide. In the UK, 981 construction workers took their own lives between 2013 and 2017. In the USA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that in 2018 the suicide rate was 5 times greater than all fatal work-related injuries in the construction industry - and yet we put a much greater focus on workplace safety than we do mental health.
In an industry like construction, where we spend anywhere from 48 to 60 hours a week (and often beyond that) in a highpressure, high-risk environment, working in large teams to overcome daily challenges and deliver complex work, the impact of the work environment on our people must be taken into account.
Resilient Teams: A
At Kintla, we do focus on providing tools to help individuals regulate stress, but we also apply this to building resilient teams where individuals can work in an environment that supports their personal wellness.Kintla’s toolkit helps organisations provide daily support to all employees by proactively integrating our approach into daily routines instead of relying on resources that may be underutilised due to employees being time-constrained, or the stigma associated with using mental health
With a 10-year career in engineering and construction, Laura Aiken is a highly respected international consultant and inclusion specialist - and a powerful voice in the implementation of highly effective wellness programmes. Here she reviews the critical mental health issues that the construction sector can all too easily provoke - and for which there are often no obvious sources of help…
Challengeresources.isan everyday occurrence in construction, and by equipping teams with the tools they need to navigate challenge - and manage stress in the process - we create psychologically safe and high performing eco-systems that adapt, support, and protect people from the long-term health impacts of stress. It’s proactive wellness.
This data shows the extreme outcomes, but the incremental impact of poor mental health can be just as devastating to people’s physical wellbeing, work, relationships, and lifestyle. Needless to say, something isn’t working in our industry.
meconstructionnews.comSeptember 2022
SHIFTING THE OLD MODEL
importantly, physical safety.
The brain’s only job for hundreds of thousands of years was to keep us alive, but unfortunately this ancient brain
Resilience is our ability to navigate and bounce back from life’s challenges. The way we respond to and act under stress is linked to something every one of us has in common: our brains.
September 2022meconstructionnews.com Wellness | 33
doesn’t know the difference between a sabre-toothed tiger and a nasty email - it only senses threat, and responds in the sameHighway.levels of stress means that we’re anxious, afraid, angry, or in what we call the “red zone”. In this zone, not only are we experiencing the physiological impacts of stress (cortisol release, increased heart rate and blood pressure, emotional irritability) but we also cannot access the higher brain functions of analytical, creative, or logical thought so our performance drops. This can impact quality, productivity, and
In Kintla’s Emotional Zones model, when teams get a better understanding of what happens in our brains when we are stressed, and what the consequences of that stress can be, it helps them regulate stress and improves business outcomes.
THE EMOTIONAL ZONES
Importantly, this model is not just about performance. Chronic stress has many documented health impacts from lack of focus, to heart disease, to immune deficiency, to depression. So mentally, physically, emotionally, socially, and professionally, it is in our best interests to be able to identify our triggers and regulate ourselves back to the green zone.
The obvious risks of a sector such as Construction are regrettably often supplemented by a raft of dangerous mental health consequences.
The sweet spot is the right amount of stimulus so that we are engaged, alert, and energized and occupying our thinking brains - the “green zone”.
When we are able to use our thinking brain we are able to access analytical processing and logical thought. When we are in our primitive brain, we are accessing the emotional and reactive part of our brain, essentially our flight or fight reflex.
Very low levels of stress can also be dangerous. In the “grey zone” where we are bored, disengaged, and unfocused, our performance also drops, and safety risks can increase - we may not notice hazards or be unable to think of ways to correct unsafe conditions quickly.
In resilient teams, there is not just independent personal resilience, but mutual support to regulate into the green zone: this generates the psychological safety that helps everyone work safely, effectively, and in a way that supports mental health.
PERCENTAGE OF THOSE WHO KNEW ABOUT EMOTIONAL
Capturing this dynamic in a team proactively is not only supporting wellbeingit’s a springboard into performance, as teams can effectively collaborate to use their full
STRESS LEVEL
Research over the past 40 years has shown that teams progress through a series of phases as they develop. Teams that stall in the early phases typically underperform, and end up with poor relationships, low ZONES WHO DIDN’T
THE EMOTIONAL ZONES
For example, using your body to send a signal to your brain that you are safe - by walking, breathing, or eating. Or, kick-starting your thinking brain by using mental exercises to shift your mindset. Connections and relationships are also really important, and positive interactions with others can lift you out of a reaction as your brain perceives that you are safe.
GREY ZONE Disengaged RED ZONE Reactive
force and are highly agile and able to handle crises without losing trust or focus.
Those who had heard of these zones (shown in green) responded more positively than those who hadn’t (shown in orange) across 20 different questions - on subjects from performance, collaboration, conflict management, and even safety.
PERFORMANCE
What’s interesting about this approach is that even a simple awareness of the zones and regulation techniques makes a difference in construction teams. This is data from a culture survey of about 1000 construction personnel on an American jobsite.
Once we have an understanding that we are experiencing stress (or in the red zone) there are different techniques to regulate ourselves that link back to how the brain works.
about emotional accountability and selfregulation, it’s crucial to understand your teammates’ reactions to stress and be a partner in their regulation.
BUILDING RESILIENT TEAMS
VS THOSE
34 | Wellness
As we work in teams, it’s important to understand that what we use to regulate ourselves, we can also use to help regulate others. Resilient teams are not just
RESILIENT TEAMS
Effective team regulation builds connections and improves relationships, which grows psychological safety, lowers territorial behaviors and silos, supports healthy conflict, and helps to reduce negative emotions that impact people’s wellbeing (and interfere with work).
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My supervisor stays calm pressureunder 20%40%60%80%100% My thinkcaressupervisorwhatIandasksforinput Conflicts in my crew are resolved quickly My crew has a good relationshipworkingwithothercrews People are accountableheldforworkingsafety 20%40%60%80%100% In the last week, have you personally corrected others when you saw them taking safety risks? YES YES NO NO
GREEN ZONE Regulated: engaged
REGULATING OUT OF STRESS
CONCLUSION
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understanding of how the brain works, we can keep ourselves and our teams in the right “zone” so that we can take care ourselves, support others, build stronger relationships, and shape resilient teams that perform incredible work in the face of Proactivelychallenge.
applying this simple model to construction teams creates a cultural ripple effect across a typically very difficult to penetrate workforce, at a time when they need it most.
productivity, and poorer results. Mastering emotional regulation is a critical pivot point to transition out of these early phases, as success rests on the team’s ability to manage emotions, trust each other, and make the environment safe for challenge and healthy conflict. Only then can the true diversity and capability of the team be leveraged.
As the team begins to “perform”, members need to continue to provide support and trust while the work gets done and challenges emerge. We must provide mechanisms for feedback and team collaboration, regular reflection on the effectiveness of execution processes, and accountability and support for continued emotional regulation.
If you would like to learn more about Kintla, Hatem Goucha, a consultant and executive coach with Kintla, will be speaking on our approach and impact on a multibillion-dollar US construction project at the Wellness in Construction Summit, taking place on 5th October
Regardless of our differences, we all have at least one thing in common - our brains. Through a simple (and shared)
Laura2022.is a consultant and inclusion specialist at Kintla. She partners with engineering and construction industry business leaders on programmes that build cultures of performance, resilience, and inclusion. At Kintla, Laura works with companies across engineering, construction, and manufacturing to deliver programming, workshops and coaching in resilience, leadership, culture change, teamwork and safety, including several large engineering and construction companies in the Middle East.
Laura has 10 years’ experience in engineering design, construction, commissioning, and start-up and has worked and led teams on several multibillion-dollar projects in the Oil & Gas industry in the UK, US and Australia.
We can build and maintain resilient teams by first ensuring the correct foundations to “Activate” the team: agree on values, set goals, clarify team processes, and define roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities.
Resilient teams are high-performing teams, but they also have the tools to manage stress as it arises, actively support each other through challenges, and ask for what they need to work safely and in a way that supports positive mental health.
Continued training on emotional regulation and including it in employee onboarding is critical for growing teams to handle crises without losing trust or focus.
THE PATH TO A RESILIENT TEAM
PERFORMANCETEAM TIME ACTIVATE REGULATE PERFORM ADAPT
The next step is to build the teams capability to manage emotions and conflict.
Finally, to keep performance high even with setbacks, challenges, debates, and crises, we need to work collaboratively to adapt plans and processes as needed.
By building resilient teams, we create eco-systems that know how to support and care for themselves and for each other, teams that can proactively manage stress, teams with positive relationships, and teams that can deliver work in a way that is empowering and fulfilling.
Training in stress and emotional regulation is key, but equally important are team routines to deepen connections, build trust and respect, and create psychological safety.
Traditional wellness programmes have some serious gaps when it comes to construction, not addressing the work environment and leaving it largely to the individual in isolation.
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of the increasingly demanding and toxic environment and culture we live in. If done poorly, corporate wellness will feel like another top-down compliance initiative that has little to do with well-being and everything to do with checking boxes and taking tests.
We are facing a tidal wave of obesity, chronic disease and conditions, pandemic, high levels of stress and too many missed opportunities for each of us to reach our full potential. The statistics are overwhelming.
According to the latest Global Burden of Disease study, healthcare spending in the UAE is predicted to more than double to $47.5 billion by 2040 as obesity tightens its grip on the nation’s health.
CorporateMustWell-beingbeaNorm
A survey by Deloitte showed that 98% of CEOs agreed that employee mental health and well-being will continue to be a priority even after the pandemic is resolved.Corporate Well-being initiatives have been gaining both popularity and notoriety especially with organisations wanting to create great working environments to retain their top talent.
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With CPI’s Wellness in Construction Summit scheduled for October 5th, we spoke to author and Wellness influencer Gloria Halim about the urgent need for organisations to put staff well-being front and centre of their corporate objectives
According to the 2019 IDF statistics, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has one of the world’s highest prevalence rates of diabetes at 16.3%. Diabetes has climbed into the top ten causes of premature death in the UAE, rising from 11th place in 2005 to 7th on the list in 2016.
The UAE is the 14th most obese country in the world with an average national BMI of 29. The overall BMI for men and women is 29. Women have an average BMI of 29.7 and men of 28.6.
A simplistic description of corporate well-being is any kind of organised effort to support employees in being more human at work. Done well, corporate wellness has the potential to offset the ill effects
he world we live in has changed. It’s a truism that, prior to the Pandemic, there was more and more pressure to be available 24/7 and meet unrelenting professional demands, with less time to recharge ourselves physically, mentally, and emotionally. It’s no wonder that so many of us were feeling depleted and experiencing burnout. In the last 18 months, things have changed - with the onset of the “Great Resignation”, where people are having the choice to make better life and health decisions for themselves, bringing the option to change jobs to companies more suited to taking care of their health and well-being.
HOW DO WE CREATE A WELLBEING FRAMEWORK THAT WORKS AND IS SUSTAINABLE?
According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has the world’s second highest prevalence of diabetes. In the UAE, 17.3 per cent of the population, or one in five people, between the ages of 20 and 79 has type 2 diabetes. This is the 15th highest rate globally. The number of people in the UAE diagnosed with diabetes is expected to double to over 2.3 million by 2045, at a significant cost to the economy. It is estimated that the MENA region currently spends $20bn (AED 73.5bn) a year on treating diabetes and its complications, and this is forecast to increase to $37bn (AED 135.8) by 2045. But the economic burden of diabetes is far greater when you include lost working days.
NOW HERE’S THE BIG QUESTION: IS THE CLASSIC MODEL WORKING?
We all know what changes we should make. We know we need to eat more veggies, exercise, maintain a healthy weight, manage stress, get a good night’s sleep, and make time for family and friends, but very few of us are able to pull it all into practice. We see this all the time and are guilty of it ourselves – for example, when the new year comes, we make resolutions to lose weight, eat healthier and go to the gym but by the end of January, that resolution is a distant memory.
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CHANGE IS DIFFICULT!
Evaluation Phase: which loops back to the assessment phase, is usually based on participation rates and employee feedback along with change in behaviours, risk factors and health outcomes.
So, the natural question is “What can we do to stand up to this colossal tidal wave?”
For very few companies, yes, it is. For most companies, not well enough. Most organisations are not reaping the hopedfor benefits especially when it comes to saving on health care costs. Some wellbeing programmes are in fact leading to additional costs related to unnecessary tests and needless care. There are difficulties HR partners and leaders face:
• To benefit the organisation
• Engagement
Program Phase: This includes lifestyle management programmes or initiatives such as weight control programmes, lunch ‘n’ learn/on-site seminars, quit smoking programs, challenges, stress management programs, healthy food options and EAPs (employee assistance programs).
• Inform employees of their risk factors or attributes and practices that increase their
• Participation
• Enable employees to achieve positive health outcomes
Feedback Phase: Typically, each employee receives a report with his/her individualised calculated risk score. Meanwhile the aggregate results are reported back to the employer to help design their well-being strategy
abnormal and sitting is normal. For example, we’ve built environments designed for driving rather than walking. We are born to move. The body thrives and functions better with movement. In terms of our diet, our societies have supported massive food infrastructures that are undeniably unhealthy, subsidizing the processed rather than natural and organic.
The issue is bigger than the individual. For corporate well-being to truly work we need to address the culture and environment first, and then the individual. We have collectively created an environment where movement is
• Leadership buy-in
Many employers are actively looking at ways to improve the health and wellbeing offered in their workplaces. Organisations understand that investing in health and wellbeing may have a range of positive business outcomes, such as reducing absenteeism (not being at work) and presenteeism (being at work but not being fully productive), improving the long-term health of staff and potentially leading to better business results. However, some key challenges remain.
Making changes seems simple enough but yet, it’s anything but that. To start with, our brains are hard-wired to resist change. Making short-term changes or participating in one-time events is easy. But making a permanent change is challenging as it requires ongoing motivation and selfregulation, personal choice and willpower - and these are all small parts of a larger equation. Widespread and sustainable change can only happen if we shift the focus away from the individual and toward the larger, surrounding forces like environment and culture.
Let’s first look at what we have been doing to promote well-being at work! Organizations implement what is known as the “Classic Model” which involves four steps: assessment, feedback, program and incentives (to motivate their employees to join and stay in the game).
• Leadership participation
This is where the concept of corporate well-being steps into the picture. The work environment whether home or office, is where most adults spend a large percentage of their day, so if there ever was a time that we needed corporate well-being initiatives that work, it’s NOW! Corporate well-being can provide an exit out of a collectively unhealthy lifestyle. This is a great idea but how do we do this?
The fact is that the onset of many of the chronic diseases and conditions we face today - heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, obesity, arthritis and cancercould be prevented, if only we each made better choices.
Drilling down into what each phase of this model entails:
• Establish a baseline for both employee and organisation
Assessment Phase: provides a benchmark typically of health Risk Assessment (HRA) and Biometric Screenings. These are used to assess status, health risks, behaviours and attitudes towards health and readiness to change.
likelihood of developing chronic disease
38 | Wellness
The goals of the classic model are:
• Encourage employees who have been identified as either “healthy” or “at-risk” to participate in lifestyle management programs or activities that focus on prevention and health promotion
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Corporate well-being is much broader than the classic model would suggest. So how do we get Firstly,started?weneed to change the current narrative - rather than just focusing on the risk factors like weight, blood pressure and what we eat, we need to adopt a more holistic approach to well-being. What really matters to people is their quality of life. Creating a holistic approach to quality of life should address all the aspects of health: physical, emotional, financial, social, career, community, environmental and spiritual.
We face a lot of wellness challenges especially now having gone through this tidal wave of the pandemic and still going through it. Another programme in itself is not going to solve the dilemma we are facing of behaviour change. It needs to be much bigger.
Relatively few companies in the GCC have as yet implemented a comprehensive and effective wellness programme.
Third, any organisation of any size, in any industry, in any part of the world, can benefit from corporate well-being initiatives that really work. Corporate Well-Being that works and engages is worth the time, commitment, and investment.
Well-being programmes, even welldesigned ones may not actually lead to a cost savings on health care spending. The reality is that the potential medical savings incurred from lifestyle management programmes (which are the kind of activities we typically associate with corporate well-being) are likely too far off in the future to translate into any kind of meaningful savings for the employer.
Moving forward and ensuring that corporate wellbeing does work is really a matter of looking at the bigger picture.
• Leadership engagement and participation on all levels
For corporate well-being to work, it needs to be a movement that captivates the hearts and minds of leaders, managers, and employees with the communal goal of helping every single individual to thrive in both their personal and professional lives, not just survive. If that can be achieved, we benefit from experiencing a major shift not just within the organisation but in the world as well.
If an employer is interested in a broader value on the other hand, then investing in corporate well-being programmes is worthwhile. A multitude of studies including the RAND study show that corporate wellbeing done well can positively impact employee health, boost engagement, and job satisfaction, enhance productivity, and help an organisation to become an employer of choice. While these outcomes are difficult to measure, they are certainly worthwhile.
• The programming itself needs to be excellent and something people want to engage with - not something that they have to participate in.
Secondly, think about infusing wellbeing into every aspect of the organisation. Incorporate wellness into business objectives and core values. Discuss wellness at meetings, from staff meetings to executive and annual planning meetings to team-based
• Great communication is vital for the success of any corporate wellbeing program.
THE FACTORS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE
All corporate well-being programmes are not equal; some are clearly better than others.
• Employees need to feel included and have opportunities to engage
retreats. Make wellness a part of performance reviews and build well-being into individual career planning and goal setting. The goal for everyone in the organisation is to live and breathe wellness - from the administrative assistant to the CEO.
• Engaging in ongoing assessments to improve can lead to higher levels of success
Gloria Halim is one of the region's best known authorities on wellness and nutrition.
• Corporate well-being strategies need to be aligned with the organisational core mission and values, objectives, operations, and cultural norm.
• Leveraging existing resources
Every organisation has different needs and goals however, there are some universal, key success factors to consider:
40 | Last Word
What do you see as the main external factors likely to impact the regional market - for example, how do you see the effects of continuing climate change?
Do you believe that the take-up of new technologies - such as 3D printing and the trend towards more modular construction - will alter the current structure of your business, and perhaps the relationships between the six divisions?
There has been a marked reduction in major strategic projects in UAE and Dubai in the last two years, as Contractors and Consultants have moved their attention to KSA. The current Dubai market appears to be dominated by residential developments and in particular high-value residential
global economies. The sustainability goals in the UAE are ambitious and will undoubtedly influence the demands for a new approach to Design and Construction as well as direct works and projects directly related to providing renewable energy and improving the energy efficiency of the existing built environment. At Khansaheb we fully support the UAE Sustainability agenda and our Sustainability agenda is aligned with the targets set by the government.
Do you believe that the same cultural and quality values that have allowed Khansaheb to thrive since 1935 will continue to help its growth today? We are only concerned with growth if the market conditions allow sustainable growth. We are more concerned about delivering an excellent service to our customers, as more than 80% of our revenue is repeat business from satisfied customers who value our services. Our people understand “The Khansaheb Way of Working” and the service our customers expect from us.
Steve Flint
The Main Contractor competition profile in Dubai has also changed, with a lot of the large UK and European based Contractors having pulled out of the Middle East. Also it is notable that the large local family Construction Businesses have scaled down and are becoming a lot more selective about the projects they undertake and the customers they are prepared to work with.
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At Khansaheb, we embrace new technology and try to stay ahead of the curve. We have invested heavily in Information Technology; we put in place an ERP system tailored to meet our business needs as long ago as 2017. All of our IT systems are cloud-based and we have developed digitised management tools that are used business-wide and on every project. This forward looking investment and modernisation of our Business Systems provided all of our people with the ability to work remotely throughout the two-year COVID19 pandemic. We will continue with this investment and development as we believe it future-proofs our business and ensures our six divisions all operate on the same IT platforms, which can be accessed from any location.
“At Khansaheb we fully support the UAE Sustainability agenda”
Climate change is obviously a major challenge for all countries and is impacting
How do you see the Dubai market changing currently, and what are the main factors driving those changes?
Steve Flint is Managing Director, Khansaheb; he oversees both Khansaheb Civil Engineering and Khansaheb Facilities Management. Middle East Consultant asked him what he sees as the critical dynamics impacting the future - and how is such a wellestablished business planning for them?
property developments. This in turn has been driven by demand for residential and external investors and high-networth individuals who see Dubai as a safe haven, and an excellent environment for investments in real estate.
Steve Flint is Managing Director at Khansaheb.
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